MaterialDistrict

Glass teahouse

It’s always surprisingly enjoyable to see an object or a design re-imagined in a new material. It’s not always just for fun either. This teahouse is made entirely from glass, and serves as a great example of how versatile the material is.

The tiny tea pavilion is a building that has an important cultural function within Japanese tradition. Here, the designer, Tokujin Yoshioka, turns tradition around with a tea house that’s entirely see-through.

It was built after an earlier mock-up at 1 :10 scale was well-received. This pavilion uses glass as a structural material which is stressed under compression. Walls are made of large, flat planes, while beams and joists are made of square and rectangular tubes.

Each roof tile is a careful copy of a ceramic tile. They are exquisitely crafted in the same extremely transparent, low iron content glass that the rest of the tea house is made from. The total effect is surreal.

Tea houses are built to allow a calming afternoon drink while taking in the surrounding nature or environment. This teahouse will certainly give you a great view – though it remains to be seen how the glass structure would fare in real usage.

The pavilion is on show at the Venice Biennale this season.

 

Images and info via the designer.

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